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M. Kawasaki -3- <br /> the offices becomes meaningless because I cannot properly identify <br /> and evaluate the candidates. <br /> Summarizing my criteria for the selection of the system for <br /> the election of the County Council are ( 1 ) The eftfectiveness of my <br /> Councilmen in the legislative process. ( 2 ) Fairness. And ( 3) <br /> Differentiation of candidates. <br /> I have already pointed out that now because I am a <br /> constituent of all the Councilmen , I have powe-r over the County <br /> legislative process. However, under the present system, a district <br /> with a population of only a fraction of the population of Kona has <br /> one Councilman , running at-large from his district,` while Kona <br /> with a much larger population also runs one Councilman . I feel <br /> this is unfair. <br /> Also, under the present system, a vote for 9 Councilmen. <br /> Assuming two candidates to each office, I must keep track of 18 <br /> candidates. This is a number much too large for me to differentiate <br /> between candidates. I cannot identify and evaluate all 18 <br /> candidates. Then , most likely , I will vote according to my <br /> prejudices rather� l; than through an objective consideration of <br /> each candidate. So, I. feel that the present system. of 9 at-large <br /> electedQCouncilmen does not meet my criterion of. differentiation. <br /> A proposal for the election of the Councilmen by districts <br /> has been made by some Kona organizations. I shall now assess this <br /> proposal on the basis of my criteria. <br /> The proposal calls for the assignment of the number of <br /> Councllmen for each district on the basis of the population of the <br /> district so that each Councilman will represent and be chosen from <br /> an equal number of people This aspect of the proposal is fair. <br /> The election by district proposal calls for theelectionof <br /> up to three Councilmen in any one district. This number allows <br /> 4 <br />